The ability structure is a set of characteristics that determine a person's propensity to perform a particular type of activity.

What are abilities

Abilities are properties that a person possesses and that allow him to engage in a particular type of activity. Their development is due to the presence of congenital inclinations.

It is worth noting that the structure of abilities cannot be equated to human skills, habits, as well as a set of knowledge. Here we are talking about internal psychological processes that determine the speed and stability of the acquisition of certain characteristics.

Many psychologists believe that abilities can be associated with the character traits from which they were developed. This is the highest level at which a set of knowledge and skills is structured and takes concrete shape.

Ability stats

For successful implementation of one or another, various kinds of abilities must be inherent. Their structure is determined by various factors, including innate inclinations, professional sphere, education, and others. Specialists identify the following characteristics that describe abilities:

• these are individual characteristics that distinguish people from each other;
• the degree of development of abilities determines success in a particular area;
• are not identical to knowledge and skills, but only determine their quality and ease of acquisition;
• abilities are not hereditary;
• do not arise independently if the person is not engaged in a certain type of activity;
• in the absence of development, abilities gradually disappear.

What are the abilities

The structure of abilities is largely determined by the field of activity in which they are most clearly manifested. In this regard, the following typology is distinguished:

• mental - the ability to quickly and efficiently resolve issues that arise before the individual;
• musical abilities determine the presence of hearing, voice, good susceptibility to tempo, rhythm and melody, as well as a quick understanding of the basics of playing certain instruments;
• literary - this is the ability to fully, expressively and beautifully formulate one's thoughts in writing;
• technical abilities imply good combinatorial thinking, as well as a deep understanding of the operation of certain mechanisms;
• physical - imply a strong physique and developed muscles, as well as good endurance and other parameters;
• learning abilities imply the ability to perceive and understand large amounts of information with the possibility of their further practical application;
• artistic - this is the ability to perceive and convey proportions and colors, as well as create original forms and so on.

It is worth noting that this is not a complete list of abilities that a person can possess.

Ability classification

The classification structure of abilities can be described as follows:

• According to origin:
  • natural abilities have a biological structure and are due to the development of innate inclinations;
  • social abilities - those that were acquired in the process of education and training.
• According to direction:
  • general abilities are necessary in view of the fact that they have a wide scope;
  • special abilities are mandatory in the case of performing a specific type of activity.
• According to the conditions of development:
  • potential abilities appear over time after falling into certain conditions;
  • actual abilities are those that take place at a given moment in time.
• According to the level of development:
  • giftedness;
  • talent;
  • genius.

The main signs of abilities

Quite of great interest is such a category as abilities. The structure of the concept includes three main features:

• individual features of a psychological nature, which serve as a distinctive feature that distinguishes the individual from other people;
• the presence of abilities determines success in performing activities of a certain kind (in some cases, to perform actions at the proper level, the presence, or, on the contrary, the absence, of certain characteristics is required);
• these are not directly skills and abilities, but individual characteristics that determine their acquisition.

Structure, ability levels

In psychology, there are two main ones:

• reproductive (consists in how much a person perceives incoming information, and also characterizes the volumes that can be reproduced);
• creative (implies the possibility of creating new, original images).

Degrees of development of abilities

The structure of ability development consists of the following main degrees:

• makings - these are the innate characteristics of a person that determine his inclination to a particular type of activity;
• giftedness is the highest level of development of inclinations, which determines the feeling of ease in performing certain tasks;
• talent is an individual which is expressed in a tendency to create something new, original;
• genius is the highest degree of development of the previous categories, which determines the ease in performing tasks of any kind;
• wisdom is an ability that allows you to soberly comprehend the events taking place around you, as well as draw appropriate conclusions.

Typology of people, depending on abilities

The structure of abilities largely determines the qualities of the individual, as well as her inclination to perform activities of a certain kind. So, it is customary to single out people of an artistic and thinking type.

If we talk about the first, then its representatives react very sharply to what is happening around, which is accompanied by a surge of emotions and impressions. This often leads to the creation of something new. As for the thinking type, such people are more practical and less subject to external influences. They logically build their reasoning, and also tend to build clear logical chains.

It is worth noting that belonging to an artistic type does not mean at all that a person definitely has an ability structure that allows him to acquire certain skills, as well as easily perform such work. In addition, people of the artistic type do not lack mental resources at all, but they are not dominant.

The division of personalities into artistic and mental types is due to the fact that different people have more developed different hemispheres. So, if the left prevails, then the person thinks symbolically, and if the right - figuratively.

The main provisions of the theory of abilities

Modern psychological science identifies several provisions on which the theory of abilities is based:

• Only relative to a certain kind of activity can there be abilities. The structure, the development of abilities, can only be identified and studied in relation to a particular area, and not in general.
• Abilities are considered a dynamic concept. They can develop in the process of continuous or regular performance of any activity, and can also fade away if the active stage has ended.
• The structure of a person's abilities largely depends on the age or life period in which he is. So, at a certain time, favorable conditions may arise for achieving maximum results. After that, the abilities may gradually disappear.
• Psychologists still cannot give a clear definition of the differences between abilities and giftedness. Speaking in general terms, the first concept is related to a specific type of activity. As for giftedness, it can be both specific and general.
• Any activity requires a set of certain characteristics. The structure of abilities ensures the success of its implementation.

The ratio of abilities and needs

Psychologists say that between needs and abilities there are relations of limitation and compensation. In this regard, the following main provisions can be distinguished:

• the simultaneous redundancy of abilities and needs limits the possibilities of activity;
• if abilities or needs are lacking, they can compensate for each other;
• if abilities are not enough, then other needs become relevant over time;
• redundancy of needs requires the acquisition of new abilities.

findings

Abilities are specific properties of a person that determine his propensity to perform a particular type of activity. They are not innate. This category includes inclinations, the presence of which greatly facilitates the process of developing abilities. Also, this concept should not be confused with giftedness or talent.

Psychologists identify several features that characterize the structure of personality abilities. They distinguish people from each other, and also determine their success in a particular field of activity. It is a mistake to assume that abilities are hereditary in nature; this can only be said about inclinations. In addition, they cannot arise on their own if a person is not engaged in activities of a certain kind. If there is no development, then the abilities gradually weaken and disappear (but this does not mean that they cannot be restored).

Depending on the field of activity, there are several types of abilities. so, mental ones allow you to quickly respond to changes in the situation, making meaningful and rational decisions. If we talk about musical abilities, then this is the presence of hearing and voice, the perception of tempo-rhythm, as well as easy mastery of playing musical instruments. Literary ones are manifested in the ability to beautifully formulate one's thoughts, and technical ones - in the understanding of the functional features of certain mechanisms. Speaking of physical abilities, it is worth noting endurance, as well as developed muscles. Educational ones make it possible to perceive and reproduce large amounts of information, and artistic ones - to convey colors and proportions. This is a basic, but far from complete list of human abilities.

These individual psychological characteristics are called the abilities of the individual, and only such abilities are singled out that, firstly, are psychological in nature., Secondly, vary individually. All people are capable of walking upright and mastering speech, but they do not belong to the actual abilities: the first - because of the non-psychological nature, the second - because of the generality.

Capabilities- these are individual psychological characteristics related to the success of any activity, not reducible to the knowledge, skills and abilities of the individual, but explaining the speed and ease of their acquisition.

However, the development of ability must have some kind of “beginning”, a starting point. Makings- this is a natural prerequisite for ability, anatomical and physiological features that underlie the development of abilities. There are no abilities, both outside of activity and outside of inclinations. Inclinations are innate and static, unlike dynamic abilities. The deposit itself is not defined, it is not aimed at anything, it is ambiguous. It receives its definiteness only by being included in the structure of activity, in ability dynamics.

Perhaps, from some natural inclination, a person will develop, for example, mathematical abilities, and possibly others. The problem is that, contrary to popular and simplified everyday ideas, there is no unambiguous and clear localization of higher mental functions in the human brain. From the same physiological "material" different psychological abilities can develop. This is definitely the orientation of the individual and the effectiveness of the activity.

A person has many different abilities: elementary and complex, general and special, theoretical and practical, communicative and subject-activity.

A person's abilities not only jointly determine the success of activities and communication, but also interact with each other, exerting a certain influence on each other. Depending on the presence and degree of development of individual abilities, they acquire a specific character.

Ability and activities

In psychology, there are two main approaches to understanding abilities, their origin and place in the system of activity, psyche and personality.

Activity approach

The first approach can be called active, and behind it are the works of many domestic researchers, starting with B. M. Teplov. The second approach is no less developed, combined with the first, but is referred to as the knowledge approach. Ability problems were also studied by A. R. Luria (1902-1977), P. K. Anokhin (1898-1974), V. D. Nebylitsin (1930-1972) and others.

Let's start from the position of B. M. Teplov, whose work on the psychology of musical abilities, carried out in the 1940s, has not lost its scientific significance even today.

Emphasizing the connection of abilities with successful activity, one should limit the range of individually varying features only to those that provide an effective result of activity. Capable people are distinguished from the incapable by faster development of activities, the achievement of greater efficiency in it. Although outwardly abilities are manifested in activities: in the skills, abilities and knowledge of the individual, but at the same time, abilities and activities are not identical to each other. So, a person can be well technically prepared and educated, but little capable of any activity. For example, at the exam to the Academy of Arts, V. I. Surikov was denied training, because, according to the examiners, he completely lacked the ability to visual activity. The inspector of the Academy, having looked at the drawings presented to him, said: “For such drawings, you should even be forbidden to walk past the Academy.” The mistake of the teachers of the Academy was that in the exam they did not evaluate the ability at all, but only the presence of certain skills and abilities in drawing. In the future, Surikov refuted this mistake by deed, having mastered the necessary skills and abilities within 3 months, as a result of which the same teachers considered him worthy of enrolling in the Academy this time. Thus, it can be said that abilities are manifested not in the knowledge, skills and abilities themselves, but in the dynamics of their acquisition, in how quickly and easily a person masters a particular activity. The quality of the performance of the activity, its success and level of achievement, and also how this activity is performed depends on the abilities.

As A. V. Petrovsky notes, in relation to the skills, abilities and knowledge of a person, abilities act as some kind of opportunity. Here we can draw an analogy with a grain thrown into the ground, the transformation of which into an ear is possible only under many conditions that favor its development. Abilities are only the possibility of a certain development knowledge, skills and abilities whether it becomes a reality depends on various conditions. So, for example, the mathematical abilities revealed in a child are by no means a guarantee that the child will become a great mathematician. Without appropriate conditions (special education, creative teachers, family opportunities, etc.), abilities will die out and never develop. It is not known how many geniuses have not been recognized by society. The life story of Albert Einstein, who was a very ordinary student in high school, can be indicative.

However, knowledge, skills and abilities remain external to abilities only until they are mastered. Being found in activity as it is mastered by a person, abilities develop further, forming their own structure and originality in activity. The mathematical abilities of a person will not be revealed in any way if he has never taught mathematics: they can be established only in the process of assimilation of numbers, rules for working with them, solving problems, etc. For example, phenomenal counters are known - persons who perform complex calculations in their minds with extreme speed, while possessing very average mathematical abilities.

Knowledge approach

Let us turn to the second psychological approach, to understanding the connections between ability and activity. Its main difference from the previous concept lies in the actual equating of abilities to the current level of knowledge, skills and abilities. This position was held by the Soviet psychologist V. A. Krutetsky (1917-1989). The knowledge approach is accentuated, as it were, on the operational aspect of abilities, while the activity approach highlights the dynamic aspect. But after all, the speed and ease of development of abilities is ensured only by appropriate operations and knowledge. Since the formation does not start “from scratch”, it is not predetermined by innate inclinations. Relevant knowledge, skills and abilities of the individual are in fact inseparable from the understanding, functioning and development of abilities. Therefore, numerous works of the "knowledge" approach, devoted to mathematical, mental, pedagogical abilities, as a rule, are widely known and promising.

Ability Hierarchy

Abilities exist and develop or perish in exactly the same way as psychologically “initial” needs, motives for activity. The personality has its own dynamic hierarchy of abilities. In this structure, special personal formations are also distinguished, called giftedness.

giftedness- a qualitatively unique, personal combination of abilities.

According to the position of B. M. Teplov, giftedness, like ability, is not innate, but exists in development. It is very important that this concept, first of all, quality. In this regard, the author strongly opposed his interpretation of giftedness and the concept of "intelligence quotient" common in Western psychology as a universal quantitative measure of giftedness.

Any giftedness is complex, i.e. includes some general and special moments. Under general giftedness refers to the development of relatively broad and universally involved psychological components, such as memory and intelligence. However, ability and giftedness can exist only in relation to a certain specific activity. Therefore, general giftedness should be attributed to a certain universal activity. Such is the whole human psyche, or life itself.

Special talent has a narrower conceptual content, since it refers to some special, i.e. regarding a specific activity. But such a gradation of activity is conditional. So the structure of artistic activity includes perception, and drawing, and composition, and imagination, and much more, which requires the appropriate development of special abilities. Therefore, general and special abilities really exist in a personal, activity-based unity.

A high degree of giftedness is called talent, in describing the qualities of which many expressive epithets are used. These are, for example, outstanding perfection, significance, passion, high efficiency, originality, diversity. B. M. Teplov wrote that talent as such is multilateral. According to the laws of probability theory, not everyone can be “outstanding”, therefore, in reality, there are few talented people.

Genius- this is the qualitatively highest degree of development and manifestation of giftedness and talent.

A genius is characterized by uniqueness, the highest creativity, the discovery of something previously unknown to mankind. A genius is unique, not like other people, and sometimes so much so that it seems incomprehensible, even superfluous. It is extremely difficult to unequivocally define, recognize someone as a genius. That is why there are many more "unrecognized geniuses" than they really are. However, geniuses have always been, are and will be manifested, since they are necessary for society. Geniuses are as diverse as the abilities, talents, circumstances, and activities that form them. That's why they are geniuses.

Problems of diagnosing abilities

The problems of diagnosing abilities have never lost their relevance. They are especially acute in today's Russia in the context of the modernization of education. Let us outline only some controversial, unresolved issues, for example, the problem of creating elite schools and other educational institutions for gifted children. The giftedness of young generations is the key to a worthy future for any country. But the main question is whether there are reliable objective criteria for giftedness in science. It should be said that there are no such valid criteria in modern scientific psychology for large-scale measurements. But then their place will be taken by semi-professional, status, financial and other criteria of children's giftedness. Perhaps it would be more expedient and more humane to invest appropriate efforts and funds in work with “ordinary” children?

Abilities and inclinations are singled out as one of the parameters of the integral mental make-up of a person. They give a psychological description of a person from some specific side that is vital. The words "able" or "unable" are widely used in everyday life, especially in the practice of teaching. The concept of ability is debatable, contains difficult universal, psychological, including ethical, moral issues. This concept intersects with many other psychological categories and phenomena. Consider the actual psychological interpretation of abilities, which often differs from their everyday understanding.

In the modern Russian school, the trend of ever earlier diagnostics of “special” abilities and inclinations of students is being spread more and more widely. Almost from the first year of study, it is determined what the student is capable of: for the humanities or the natural sciences. Not only is there no proper scientific consistency behind such a diagnosis, it is simply not ethical and directly harms the entire education, the entire mental and personal development of the child.

However, one of the urgent problems of the ongoing modernization of education in Russia is the profiling of school education. Someone has allegedly already proved that the sooner a student chooses a profile of education, the better for him and for society. Someone believes that a teenager is already able to make an unmistakable choice of a future profession, and that in most cases he does it.

Any person does not have a more direct and reliable way to develop their abilities and personality as a whole than public, well-organized, but not lightweight and simplified, but optimally intense, developing and creative training.

Individual psychological characteristics, which are subjective conditions for the successful implementation of a certain kind of activity. Abilities are not limited to the individual's knowledge, skills and abilities. They are found in the speed, depth and strength of mastering the methods and techniques of activity.

When people in the same circumstances achieve different successes in mastering and performing any activity, they speak of the presence of corresponding abilities in some people and their absence in others. The success of mastering the activity and its implementation also depends on knowledge, skills and abilities. But abilities are not reduced to motives, or to knowledge, or to skills, or to habits. At the same time, they all act as conditions for the realization of abilities.

Human abilities, like any other personal formations, have a dual psychological nature. On the one hand, in any ability there are individual components that make up its biological foundations or prerequisites. They are called assignments. are morphological and functional features of the structure of the brain, sensory organs and movement. Most of them are genetically predetermined. In addition to congenital, a person also has acquired inclinations, which are formed in the process of maturation and development of the child in the first years of life. Such inclinations are called social. By themselves, natural inclinations do not yet determine a successful person, that is, they are not abilities. These are only natural conditions or factors on the basis of which the development of abilities takes place.

Another important condition for their formation is the social environment, whose representatives, represented by parents and teachers, include the child in various activities and communication, equip them with the necessary methods for their implementation, and organize a system of exercises and training. Moreover, the possibilities for developing abilities are largely determined by the potential that is inherent in the inclinations. This potential can be realized under appropriate conditions, but most often it remains unfulfilled due to the unfavorable conditions for the development of most people.

There are different opinions about the extent to which abilities are determined by heredity, and to what extent by the impact of the surrounding social environment. Numerous facts testify to the dominance of both heredity and social conditions. Confirmation of the fact that heredity has a great influence on the formation of abilities is the facts of the early emergence of abilities in many gifted people.

Ability types. A person's abilities are always associated with the mental functions of a person: memory, attention, emotions, etc. Depending on this, the following types of abilities can be distinguished: psychomotor, sensory-perceptual, mental, imaginative (“imaginative”), mnemonic, attention (“attentive”), emotional-dynamic, speech, volitional. They are included in the structure of professional abilities of different specialists. For example, psychomotor abilities are necessary for a surgeon, watchmaker, ballet dancer, etc. Sensory-perceptual abilities form the basis of the professional skills of a cook, taster, perfumer, etc.

In the social life of a person, there are two sides: objective activity and communication. This division allows us to distinguish two types of abilities: subject and socio-psychological. Subject abilities ensure the success of mastering and performing all kinds of subject activities. Socio-psychological abilities are necessary to communicate with people. Communication is fundamentally different from interaction with objects: it is dialogical in nature and requires an attitude towards another person as an equal and equal subject and person. Communication is based not only on their own interests and capabilities, but also on the interests and capabilities of a partner. Therefore, its success will be determined by whether the subject is able to understand another person, mentally take his place, plan and implement the most reasonable methods of psychological influence, make the right impression, etc. This group of abilities includes character traits that express attitudes towards people. Most socio-psychological abilities are very specific and do not work in the context of objective activity. The same is true for subject abilities. In other words, they almost do not intersect with each other. Therefore, numerous facts are quite understandable, when specialists with a high level of professionalism in some subject area showed complete inconsistency in working with people, and vice versa.

Depending on the level of generalization, general and special abilities are distinguished. General abilities determine the success of performing many types of activities simultaneously. These include, for example, intellectual abilities, developed memory, speech, etc. Special abilities determine success in specific activities. They work only within their respective activities. These include musical, mathematical, literary and other abilities. General and special abilities most often coexist, mutually complementing each other. The success of any specific and specific activity depends not only on special, but also on general abilities. Therefore, in the course of professional training of specialists, one should not be limited to the formation of only special abilities.

Depending on the productivity of activity or communication and the characteristics of the product generated by them, reproductive and creative abilities are distinguished. Reproductive abilities affect the success of mastering activities, the ability to acquire knowledge, skills and abilities, that is, the effectiveness of training. They are necessary for mastering special experience and, consequently, for the development of a person as a subject and as a person. Thanks to them, there is no creation, but only the preservation and recreation in subsequent generations of the accumulated human experience. Creativity determines the creation of objects of material and spiritual culture, the production of new, original ideas, discoveries, inventions, creativity in various areas of human life. They are the ones who drive social progress.

Depending on the level of development of a person's abilities, giftedness, talent and genius are distinguished. The totality of a number of abilities that determine a particularly successful activity of a person in a certain area and distinguish him from other persons performing this activity in the same conditions is called giftedness. A high degree of a person's abilities for a certain activity, manifested in the originality and novelty of the approach, is called talent. Talent is a combination of abilities, their totality. The structure of talent is determined by the nature of the requirements imposed on the individual by activity. Genius is the highest degree of giftedness, it is a combination of abilities that gives a person the opportunity to successfully, independently and originally perform any complex activity. The difference between genius and talent is not so much quantitative as qualitative. Genius creates a whole epoch in the field of his activity. So, Mozart in music, C. Darwin in natural science, I. Newton in physics, etc. can be considered geniuses.

The stronger the abilities are expressed, the fewer people possess them. In terms of the level of development of abilities, most people do not stand out in any way. There are not so many gifted, much less talented, and geniuses can be found in every field about once a century. These are just unique people who make up the heritage of mankind. That is why they require the most careful handling. In reality, talented and, especially, brilliant personalities are rarely recognized by their contemporaries. A true assessment of their creative contribution to social culture is given by subsequent generations.

Formation of abilities. In their genetic essence, abilities are socially developed generalized ways of handling objects, phenomena and people, assimilated by an individual and transformed into stable personal properties, ways of acting (assisting) in various life situations. Therefore, the formation of abilities should be aimed at organizing the necessary types and methods of activity and communication and transforming them into appropriate personal formations. However, it cannot be identified with the methodology for the formation of knowledge, skills and abilities.

The initial natural condition for the development of abilities are inclinations. It is on them that, first of all, depends how successfully a child can master the methods of activity and communication given to him by society. They may favor or hinder this, which must be taken into account when constructing a formative methodology. In the course of the corresponding exercises, they are transformed and integrated with the learned methods of action (assistance). As a result, a kind of fusion of natural and social, individual and personal appears.

Important in the formation of a person's abilities are the age-related timing of the discovery of inclinations and the organization of the process itself. The earlier it starts, the easier and faster it is possible to achieve maximum results. However, one should keep in mind the so-called sensitive periods, during which the most favorable psycho-physiological conditions are created for the formation of certain abilities. For example, the sensitive period for the development of linguistic abilities is early preschool age, artistic ones - senior preschool age.

All these circumstances are necessary for the transformation of a person as a biological being with innate inclinations into a social being, developing human abilities in himself. The surrounding people, having the necessary abilities and means of learning, ensure the continuous development of the necessary abilities in children. An important role here is played by complexity, that is, the simultaneous improvement of several mutually complementary abilities. The versatility and variety of activities and communication, in which a person is simultaneously included, act as one of the conditions for the development of his abilities. In this regard, the following requirements should be imposed on developmental activities (communication): creative nature, the optimal level of difficulty for the performer, proper motivation and ensuring a positive emotional mood during performance.

An essential factor determining the development of abilities is the stable special interests of the individual in a certain area of ​​social life, which are transformed into a propensity to professionally engage in the relevant activity. Special abilities are formed in the process of mastering professional activities. Cognitive interest stimulates the mastery of effective techniques and methods for its implementation, and the successes achieved, in turn, further increase motivation.

In order to ensure the best fit of a person to a specific type of work activity, it is necessary to assess his professional inclinations, inclinations and abilities of a person. This is carried out in the process of vocational guidance and vocational selection, which makes it possible to identify the qualities necessary for a particular type of labor activity. Based on this assessment, professional suitability is revealed. The fact that a person is suitable for this profession can only be said when his abilities are fully consistent with the nature of this work.

In the psychology of abilities, there are many definitions. Let us present two concepts that reflect the essence of the conceptual provisions of the ability problem in Russian science.

Capabilities- this is the total psychological quality of the individual, which constitutes a system of predispositions to certain types of activity and is a necessary prerequisite for its successful implementation.

Capabilities- this is an individual property of a person, which manifests itself in a specific activity and characterizes it in terms of speed, quality and ease of implementation.

Abilities are:

The system of properties of the psyche, and not just consciousness. The prerequisites for its formation are the natural, physiological and hereditary characteristics of the organism, the conditions are the social environment and the level of its development, and the dominant factor is the needs, interests, values ​​of society and the demands of the era;

Intravital mental formations that continue to develop into old age. It is impossible to oppose (as well as to identify) abilities with knowledge. The latter are the source of continuous development of abilities. Abilities are not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities, but they cannot exist without them;

The realization of inclinations and inclinations as innate prerequisites for abilities. They are morphological, structural and functional features of the organization of the central nervous system;

Such a complex of properties, which is found not only and even not so much in knowledge, skills and abilities, but in the dynamics of their acquisition and development, i.e. - how quickly, deeply, easily and firmly acquired knowledge, skills and abilities.

Abilities have qualitative and quantitative characteristics. The quality of abilities is determined by the answer to the question: what abilities does a person have, quantity - how great are they? Each ability works in conjunction with others. Therefore, the success of the activity can be achieved in various ways. This is due to the compensatory capabilities of the individual's abilities. Compensation of some abilities by developing others is a remarkable property that can be successfully used in the pedagogical process. B. M. Teplov's research showed that even the absence of an absolute ear for music cannot serve as a basis for refusing to develop musical abilities. It was possible for the subjects to develop a set of abilities that compensated for the lack of absolute pitch of the personality.

Qualitative certainty of abilities allows a person to choose a profession, having found out what abilities inherent in her correspond to the preferred type of activity. To do this, it is necessary to determine the quantitative parameters of personal abilities. Measuring abilities, presenting them in a quantitative form is an old dream of psychologists working in the field of career guidance and pedagogy. Unfortunately, the methods of these measurements are far from perfect.

Ability structure. As already noted, abilities are manifested in a complex of mental properties. A separate mental property cannot ensure the productivity of even one type of activity, not to mention many. Success in drawing cannot be realized in artistic creativity if there is no corresponding sensory-emotional susceptibility of the world and the originality of its intellectual representation. Having a phenomenal memory does not automatically make other abilities of a person more outstanding than usual. Each ability is an integrity, a structural unity of the abilities included in it. For example, the structure of managerial ability implies the unity of the following personal abilities: the ability to manage oneself, a clear and stable system of values, a clear personal goal, the ability to self-development, the ability to quickly solve problems, the ability to be creative, the ability to influence people, the ability to clearly understand the specifics of managerial work, the ability to teach, the ability to rally the team. The presented 10 abilities (mental properties) of a manager not only do not exhaust all the elements of the structure of managerial ability, but each of them individually has a no less complex structure.

Managerial ability in this case acts as a general one, meeting the requirements of many types of activities at once. Its constituent abilities are called special, corresponding to special types of activity.

In psychology, it is customary to distinguish between general and special abilities. Special abilities - abilities for certain types of activities (mathematical abilities, musical abilities, pedagogical, etc.). General abilities is the ability to develop special abilities.

The most common abilities can be called object-active, cognitive, communication abilities. Within the framework of the first two types of abilities, I.P. Pavlov singled out three types of personality characters determined by general abilities: an artist, an average type, a thinker.

Object-active, cognitive and communication abilities have endless possibilities of classification. Of particular interest is the quantitative typology of abilities: giftedness, skill, talent, genius.

giftedness most of all associated with the makings and inclinations. The greatest degree of a person's predisposition to a certain type of activity, found in its successful implementation, is called giftedness. Giftedness is the source and prerequisite for the formation of skill, talent and genius.

The second degree of expressiveness of ability is mastery (although there are other points of view). It is typical for most people who have successfully mastered all the wisdom of their profession. Mastery - an expression of the professional maturity of the individual.

Talent- the highest degree of manifestation of abilities. This is ability squared: firstly, talent is a source of talent, based primarily on a system of inclinations, and secondly, talent is a product of skill and diligence. Talent is the pinnacle of skill, its creative frame. Mastery is based on knowledge, skills and abilities, talent is based on creativity.

Genius- the highest degree of creative talent. A brilliant personality is the personification of the spirit of the era, therefore, she is credited with such natural and spiritual foundations that ordinary people are deprived of. Not without reason, in ancient Greek mythology, a genius is a patron spirit that accompanies a person in life and directs his activity. Geniuses are creators. They create new directions in the minds of the era, make revolutions in science and art, create a new ideology. As a rule, a person is recognized as a genius after his death (the phrase: “there is no prophet in his own country” is a confirmation of this), since society is not yet ready to recognize and understand an outstanding idea. Later, the whole world, all of humanity, uses the creations of a genius, thereby recognizing the special value of the discovery made.

Ability is a dynamic concept. They are formed, developed and manifested in activity. Consider the factors affecting the development of abilities.

The prerequisites for the development of abilities are makings (inclinations) as biologically determined predispositions of the individual to the corresponding types of activity.

The social conditionality of the development of abilities is expressed depending on the determination of the latter by the social demands of society, the content and level of development of culture, the needs and interests of the individual (for example, today it is relevant, the development of human communication abilities is in demand).

The stages in the development of abilities are associated with the formation of the bodily organization (nervous system, physical appearance, secretory apparatus), with periods of the formation of cognition and socialization. The development of abilities, therefore, is accompanied by the formation of all aspects of the bodily, mental and social organization of the individual.

The formation of special abilities occurs in sensitive (favorable) periods of a person's life (abilities are laid down in the preschool period, intensively developed during the school period and actively formed in adolescence).

So, summing up, we can say that each person is unique and original. Its uniqueness is manifested and refers to the individual characteristics of the personality: temperament, character and abilities.

1. General characteristics of human abilities.

2. Levels of ability development and individual differences

3. Development of abilities.

4. Conclusion

5. References

Introduction

The problem of the development of abilities has a rather complicated fate in the history of psychological science.

Currently, the concept of "ability" is one of the most widely used psychological concepts in education. It was abilities that began to be considered as one of the main units of development.

1. General characteristics of human abilities

Very often, when we try to explain why people who find themselves in the same or almost the same conditions achieve different successes, we turn to the concept of ability, believing that the difference in the success of people can be explained precisely by this. The same concept is also used when the reasons for the rapid assimilation of knowledge or the acquisition of skills and abilities by some people and the long, even painful learning of others are being investigated. What are abilities?

It should be noted that the word "ability" has a very wide use in a wide variety of areas of practice. Usually, abilities are understood as such individual characteristics that are the conditions for the successful implementation of any one or more activities. However, the term "abilities", despite its long and widespread use in psychology, is interpreted by many authors ambiguously. If we sum up all possible variants of currently existing approaches to the study of abilities, then they can be reduced to three main types. In the first case, abilities are understood as the totality of various mental processes and states. This is the broadest and oldest interpretation of the term "ability". From the point of view of the second approach, abilities are understood as a high level of development of general and special knowledge, skills and abilities that ensure the successful performance of various types of activities by a person. This definition appeared and was accepted in the psychology of the 18-19 centuries. and is fairly common today. The third approach is based on the assertion that abilities are not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities, but ensure their rapid acquisition, consolidation and effective use in practice.

In domestic psychology, experimental studies of abilities are most often built on the basis of the latter approach. The greatest contribution to its development was made by the famous Russian scientist B. M. Teplov. He identified the following three main features of the concept of "ability".

First, abilities are understood as individual psychological characteristics that distinguish one person from another; no one will talk about abilities where we are talking about properties in respect of which all people are equal.

Secondly, abilities are not called any individual characteristics in general, but only those that are related to the success of performing an activity or many activities.

Thirdly, the concept of "ability" is not limited to the knowledge, skills or abilities that a given person has already developed.

Unfortunately, in everyday practice, the concepts of "abilities" and "skills" are often equated, which leads to erroneous conclusions, especially in pedagogical practice. A classic example of this kind is the unsuccessful attempt of V. I. Surikov, who later became a famous artist, to enter the Academy of Arts. Although Surikov's outstanding abilities manifested themselves quite early, he did not yet have the necessary skills and abilities in drawing. Academic teachers denied Surikov admission to the academy. Moreover, the inspector of the academy, having looked at the drawings submitted by Surikov, said: “For such drawings, you should even be forbidden to walk past the academy.” The mistake of the teachers of the academy was that they failed to distinguish the lack of skills and abilities from the lack of abilities. Surikov proved their mistake by deed, having mastered the necessary skills within three months, as a result of which the same teachers considered him worthy of enrolling in the academy this time.

Despite the fact that abilities are not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities, this does not mean that they are in no way related to knowledge and skills. Ease and speed of acquiring knowledge, skills and abilities depend on abilities. The acquisition of these knowledge and skills, in turn, contributes to the further development of abilities, while the lack of appropriate skills and knowledge is a brake on the development of abilities.

Abilities, B. M. Teplov believed, cannot exist except in a constant process of development. An ability that does not develop, which a person ceases to use in practice, is lost over time. Only through constant exercises associated with the systematic pursuit of such complex human activities as music, technical and artistic creativity, mathematics, sports, etc., do we maintain and develop the corresponding abilities in ourselves.

It should be noted that the success of any activity does not depend on any one, but on a combination of different abilities, and this combination, which gives the same result, can be provided in various ways. In the absence of the necessary inclinations for the development of some abilities, their deficiency can be made up for by a higher development of others. “One of the most important features of the human psyche,” wrote B. M. Teplov, “is the possibility of an extremely wide compensation of some properties by others, as a result of which the relative weakness of any one ability does not at all exclude the possibility of successfully performing even such an activity that is most closely connected with this ability. The missing ability can be compensated within a very wide range by others highly developed in a given person.

There are many abilities. In science, attempts to classify them are known. Most of these classifications distinguish, first of all, natural, or natural, abilities (basically biologically determined) and specifically human abilities that have a socio-historical origin.

Under the natural abilities understand those that are common to humans and animals, especially higher ones. For example, such elementary abilities are perception, memory, the ability for elementary communication. Thinking, from a certain point of view, can also be regarded as an ability that is characteristic not only of man, but also of higher animals. These abilities are directly related to innate inclinations. However, the makings of a person and the makings of an animal are not the same thing. On the basis of these inclinations, abilities are formed in a person. This happens in the presence of elementary life experience, through the mechanisms of learning, etc. In the process of human development, these biological abilities contribute to the formation of a number of other, specifically human abilities.

These specifically human abilities are usually divided into general and special higher intellectual abilities. In turn, they can be divided into theoretical and practical, educational and creative, subject and interpersonal, etc.

It is customary to refer to general abilities as those that determine the success of a person in a variety of activities. For example, this category includes mental abilities, subtlety and accuracy of manual movements, memory, speech, and a number of others. Thus, general abilities are understood as abilities inherent in most people. Special abilities are understood as those that determine the success of a person in specific activities, for the implementation of which the makings of a special kind and their development are necessary. Such abilities include musical, mathematical, linguistic, technical, literary, artistic and creative, sports, etc. It should be noted that the presence of general abilities in a person does not exclude the development of special abilities, and vice versa.

Most researchers of the problem of abilities agree that general and special abilities do not conflict, but coexist, mutually complementing and enriching each other. Moreover, in some cases, a high level of development of general abilities can act as special abilities in relation to certain types of activity. Such interaction by some authors is explained by the fact that general abilities, in their opinion, are the basis for the development of special ones. Other researchers, explaining the relationship between general and special abilities, emphasize that the division of abilities into general and special is very conditional. For example, almost every person after a course of study knows how to add, multiply, divide, etc., so mathematical abilities can be considered as general. However, there are people who have these abilities so highly developed that we begin to talk about their mathematical talent, which can be expressed in the speed of assimilation of mathematical concepts and operations, the ability to solve extremely complex problems, etc.

Among the general abilities of a person, we with good reason should include the abilities manifested in communication, interaction with people. These abilities are socially determined. They are formed in a person in the process of his life in society. Without this group of abilities, it is very difficult for a person to live among his own kind. So, without the ability to speak as a means of communication, without the ability to adapt in a society of people, that is, to correctly perceive and evaluate the actions of people, interact with them and establish good relationships in various social situations, a normal life and mental development of a person would be simply impossible. The lack of such abilities in a person would be an insurmountable obstacle on the way of his transformation from a biological being into a social one.

In addition to dividing abilities into general and special, it is customary to divide abilities into theoretical and practical. Theoretical and practical abilities differ from each other in that the former predetermine a person's inclination to abstract theoretical reflections, and the latter to specific practical actions. Unlike general and special abilities, theoretical and practical abilities most often do not combine with each other. Most people have either one or the other type of ability. Together they are extremely rare, mainly among gifted, diversified people.

There is also a division into educational and creative abilities. They differ from each other in that the former determine the success of training, the assimilation of knowledge, skills and abilities by a person, while the latter determine the possibility of discoveries and inventions, the creation of new objects of material and spiritual culture, etc. If we try to determine which abilities from of this group are more important for humanity, then in the case of recognizing the priority of some over others, we are most likely to make a mistake. Of course, if humanity were deprived of the opportunity to create, then it would hardly be able to develop. But if people did not have learning abilities, then the development of mankind would also be impossible. Development is possible only when people are able to assimilate the entire amount of knowledge accumulated by previous generations. Therefore, some authors believe that learning abilities are, first of all, general abilities, while creative abilities are special ones that determine the success of creativity.

It should be noted that abilities not only jointly determine the success of an activity, but also interact, influencing each other. Depending on the presence and degree of development of the abilities included in the complex of abilities of a particular person, each of them acquires a different character. Such mutual influence is especially strong when it comes to interdependent abilities that jointly determine the success of an activity. Therefore, a certain combination of various highly developed abilities determines the level of development of abilities in a particular person.

2. Levels of ability development and individual differences

In psychology, the following classification of levels of development of abilities is most often found: ability, giftedness, talent, genius.

All abilities in the process of their development go through a series of stages, and in order for some ability to rise in its development to a higher level, it is necessary that it was already sufficiently formed at the previous level. But for the development of abilities, there must initially be a certain basis, which is makings. The inclinations are understood as the anatomical and physiological features of the nervous system, which constitute the natural basis for the development of abilities. For example, the features of the development of various analyzers can act as innate inclinations. Thus, certain characteristics of auditory perception can act as the basis for the development of musical abilities. And the inclinations of intellectual abilities are manifested primarily in the functional activity of the brain - its greater or lesser excitability, the mobility of nervous processes, the speed of formation of temporary connections, etc., that is, in what I. P. Pavlov called genotype - congenital features of the nervous system.

It should be noted that these innate anatomical and physiological features of the structure of the brain, sensory organs and movement, or innate inclinations, determine the natural basis of individual differences between people. According to IP Pavlov, the basis of individual differences is determined by the predominant type of higher nervous activity and the peculiarities of the correlation of signal systems. Based on these criteria, three typological groups of people can be distinguished: the artistic type (the predominance of the first signal system), the mental type (the predominance of the second signal system) and the average type (equal representation).

The typological groups identified by Pavlov suggest the presence of various innate inclinations in representatives of a particular group. Thus, the main differences between the artistic type and the mental type are manifested in the sphere of perception, where the "artist" is characterized by a holistic perception, and for the "thinker" - its fragmentation into separate parts; in the sphere of imagination and thinking, “artists” have a predominance of figurative thinking and imagination, while “thinkers” are more characterized by abstract, theoretical thinking; in the emotional sphere, persons of the artistic type are distinguished by increased emotionality, and for representatives of the thinking type, rational, intellectual reactions to events are more characteristic.

It should be emphasized that the presence of certain inclinations in a person does not mean that he will develop certain abilities. For example, an essential prerequisite for the development of musical abilities is a keen ear. But the structure of the peripheral (auditory) and central nervous apparatus is only a prerequisite for the development of musical abilities. The structure of the brain does not provide for what professions and specialties related to musical ear may arise in human society. Nor is it foreseen what area of ​​activity a person will choose for himself and what opportunities will be provided to him for the development of his inclinations. Consequently, to what extent a person's inclinations will be developed depends on the conditions of his individual development.

Thus, the development of inclinations is a socially conditioned process that is associated with the conditions of education and the characteristics of the development of society. Inclinations develop and transform into abilities, provided that there is a need in society for certain professions, in particular, where a keen ear for music is needed. The second significant factor in the development of inclinations are the features of education.

The assignments are non-specific. The fact that a person has inclinations of a certain type does not mean that on their basis, under favorable conditions, some specific ability must necessarily develop. Based on the same inclinations, different abilities can develop depending on the nature of the requirements imposed by the activity. Thus, a person with a good ear and a sense of rhythm can become a musical performer, conductor, dancer, singer, music critic, teacher, composer, etc. At the same time, one cannot assume that inclinations do not affect the nature of future abilities. So, the features of the auditory analyzer will affect precisely those abilities that require a special level of development of this analyzer.

Based on this, we can conclude that abilities are largely social and are formed in the process of specific human activity. Depending on whether there are or are not conditions for the development of abilities, they can be potential and relevant.

Potential abilities are understood as those that are not realized in a particular type of activity, but are able to be updated when the relevant social conditions change. Actual abilities, as a rule, include those that are needed at the moment and are implemented in a particular type of activity. Potential and actual abilities are an indirect indicator of the nature of the social conditions in which a person's abilities develop. It is the nature of social conditions that hinders or promotes the development of potential abilities, ensures or does not ensure their transformation into actual ones.

Abilities are understood as such individual characteristics that are related to the success of performing any kind of activity. Therefore, abilities are considered as basic personality traits. However, no single ability alone can ensure the successful performance of an activity. The success of any activity always depends on a number of abilities. Observation alone, no matter how perfect, is not enough to become a good writer. For a writer, observation, figurative memory, a number of qualities of thinking, abilities associated with written speech, the ability to concentrate and a number of other abilities are of paramount importance.

On the other hand, the structure of any particular ability includes universal or general qualities that meet the requirements of various types of activity, and special qualities that ensure success in only one type of activity. For example, studying mathematical abilities, V. A. Krutetsky found that in order to successfully perform mathematical activities, it is necessary:

1) an active, positive attitude towards the subject, a tendency to engage in it, turning into a passionate enthusiasm at a high level of development;

2) a number of character traits, primarily diligence, organization, independence, purposefulness, perseverance, as well as stable intellectual feelings;

3) the presence during the activity of mental states favorable for its implementation;

4) a certain fund of knowledge, skills and abilities in the relevant field;

5) individual psychological characteristics in the sensory and mental spheres that meet the requirements of this activity.

While the first four categories of listed properties should be considered as general properties necessary for any activity, and not be considered as components of abilities, since otherwise the components of abilities should be considered interests and aptitudes, character traits, mental states, as well as skills and abilities.

The last group of qualities is specific, determining success only in a particular type of activity. This is explained by the fact that these qualities are primarily manifested in a specific area and are not associated with the manifestation of abilities in other areas. For example, judging by the biographical data, A. S. Pushkin shed many tears in the lyceum over mathematics, but did not show noticeable success; D. I. Mendeleev at school was distinguished by great success in the field of mathematics and physics, and in linguistic subjects he had a solid “one”.

Special abilities should also include musical, literary, stage, etc.

The next level of ability development is giftedness. Giftedness is a kind of combination of abilities that provides a person with the opportunity to successfully perform any activity.

In this definition, it is necessary to emphasize that it is not the successful performance of an activity that depends on giftedness, but only the possibility of such successful performance. The successful implementation of any activity requires not only the presence of an appropriate combination of abilities, but also the acquisition of the necessary knowledge and skills. No matter how phenomenal mathematical talent a person has, if he has never studied mathematics, he will not be able to successfully perform the functions of the most ordinary specialist in this field. Giftedness determines only the possibility of achieving success in a particular activity, while the realization of this opportunity is determined by the extent to which the corresponding abilities will be developed and what knowledge and skills will be acquired.

Individual differences of gifted people are found mainly in the direction of interests. Some people, for example, dwell on mathematics, others on history, and still others on social work. Further development of abilities occurs in a specific activity.

It should be noted that two groups of components can be distinguished in the structure of abilities. Some occupy a leading position, while others are auxiliary. So, in the structure of visual abilities, the leading properties will be the high natural sensitivity of the visual analyzer - a sense of line, proportion, shape, chiaroscuro, color, rhythm, as well as the sensorimotor qualities of the artist’s hand, highly developed figurative memory, etc. The auxiliary qualities include properties artistic imagination, emotional mood, emotional attitude to the depicted, etc.

The leading and auxiliary components of the abilities form a unity that ensures the success of the activity. However, the ability structure is a highly flexible entity. The ratio of leading and auxiliary qualities in a particular ability varies from person to person. Depending on which quality is the leading one in a person, the formation of auxiliary qualities necessary for the performance of an activity takes place. Moreover, even within the same activity, people can have a different combination of qualities that will allow them to equally successfully perform this activity, compensating for shortcomings.

It should be noted that the lack of abilities does not mean that a person is unsuitable for performing a particular activity, since there are psychological mechanisms for compensating for missing abilities. Often, not only those who have the ability for it, but also those who do not have them, have to engage in activity. If a person is forced to continue engaging in this activity, he will consciously or unconsciously compensate for the lack of abilities, relying on the strengths of his personality. According to E. P. Ilyin, compensation can be carried out through acquired knowledge or skills, or through the formation of an individual-typical style of activity, or through another, more developed ability. The possibility of a wide compensation of some properties by others leads to the fact that the relative weakness of any one ability does not at all exclude the possibility of successful performance of the activity most closely related to this ability. The missing ability can be compensated within a very wide range by others that are highly developed in a given person. Probably, this is what ensures the possibility of successful human activity in various fields.

The manifestation of abilities is always strictly individual and most often unique. Therefore, it seems impossible to reduce the giftedness of people, even those engaged in the same activity, to a set of specific indicators. With the help of various psychodiagnostic methods, one can only establish the presence of certain abilities and determine the relative level of their development. Why relative? Because no one knows the absolute thresholds, or levels of development, of this or that ability. As a rule, a judgment is made for a particular person by comparing his results with the average results of a particular sample of subjects. This approach to assessing abilities is based on the use of quantitative methods.

Characterizing the abilities of a person, they often single out such a level of their development as skill, i.e. excellence in a particular activity. When people talk about the skill of a person, they first of all mean his ability to successfully engage in productive activities. However, it does not follow from this that mastery is expressed in the corresponding sum of ready-made skills and abilities. Mastery in any profession implies a psychological readiness for creative solutions to emerging problems. No wonder they say: “Skill is when “what” and “how” come at the same time”, emphasizing that for a master there is no gap between the awareness of a creative task and finding ways to solve it.

The next level of development of human abilities - talent. Just like abilities, talent manifests itself and develops in activity. The activity of a talented person is distinguished by a fundamental novelty, originality of approach.

The awakening of talent, as well as abilities in general, is socially conditioned. What talents will receive the most favorable conditions for full-fledged development depends on the needs of the era and the characteristics of the specific tasks that the given society faces.

It should be noted that talent is a certain combination of abilities, their totality. A single isolated ability, even a very highly developed one, cannot be called a talent. For example, among prominent talents you can find many people, both with good and bad memory. It's related with the fact that in human creative activity, memory is only one of the factors on which its success depends. But the results are not will be achieved without flexibility of mind, rich imagination, strong will, deep interest.

The highest level of ability development is called genius.O Genius is said to be when a person's creative achievements constitute an entire epoch in the life of society, in the development of culture. There are very few brilliant people. It is generally accepted that in the entire five thousandth history of civilization there were no more than 400 of them. A high level of giftedness, which characterizes a genius, is inevitably associated with originality in various fields of activity. Among the geniuses who have achieved such universalism are Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci, R. Descartes, G. V. Leibniz, M. V. Lomonosov. For example, M. V. Lomonosov achieved outstanding results in various fields of knowledge: chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, and at the same time was an artist, writer, linguist, and knew poetry perfectly. However, this does not mean that all the individual qualities of a genius are developed to the same degree. Genius, as a rule, has its own "profile", some side dominates in it, some abilities manifest themselves brighter.

3. Development of abilities

Any inclinations, before turning into abilities, must go a long way of development. For many human abilities, this development begins from the birth of a person and, if he continues to engage in those activities in which the corresponding abilities are developed, does not stop until the end of life.

There are several stages in the development of abilities. Each person in his development goes through periods of increased sensitivity to certain influences, to the development of a particular type of activity. For example, a child at the age of two or three years develops oral speech intensively, at five to seven years he is most ready to master reading. In the middle and older preschool years, children enthusiastically play role-playing games and show an extraordinary ability to transform and get used to the role. It is important to note that these periods of special readiness to master special types of activity end sooner or later, and if any function has not received its development in a favorable period, then subsequently its development turns out to be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, for the development of a child's abilities, all stages of his formation as a person are important. You can not think that at an older age the child will be able to catch up.

The primary stage in the development of any ability is associated with the maturation of the organic structures necessary for it or with the formation of the necessary functional organs on their basis. This usually occurs between birth and six or seven years of age. At this stage, there is an improvement in the work of all analyzers, the development and functional differentiation of individual sections of the cerebral cortex. This creates favorable conditions for the beginning of the formation and development of the child's general abilities, a certain level of which acts as a prerequisite for the subsequent development of special abilities.

At the same time, the formation and development of special abilities begins. Then the development of special abilities continues at school, especially in the lower and middle grades. At first, various kinds of children's games help the development of special abilities, then educational and labor activities begin to have a significant impact on them.

Children's games perform a special function. They are an effective means of shaping the child's personality, his moral and volitional qualities; the need to influence the world is realized in the game. The Soviet teacher V. A. Sukhomlinsky emphasized that “play is a huge bright window through which a life-giving stream of ideas and concepts about the world around flows into the child’s spiritual world. The game is a spark that ignites the flame of inquisitiveness and curiosity.

It is the games that give the initial impetus to the development of abilities. In the process of games, many motor, design, organizational, artistic, visual and other creative abilities develop. Moreover, an important feature of games is that they, as a rule, develop not one, but at once a whole range of abilities.

It should be noted that not all activities that a child is engaged in, whether it is playing, modeling or drawing, are of equal importance for the development of abilities. The most conducive to the development of abilities is creative activity that makes the child think. Such activity is always associated with the creation of something new, the discovery of new knowledge, the discovery of new opportunities in oneself. This becomes a strong and effective incentive to engage in it, to make the necessary efforts aimed at overcoming the difficulties that arise. Moreover, creative activity strengthens positive self-esteem, increases the level of aspirations, generates self-confidence and a sense of satisfaction from the successes achieved.

If the activity being performed is in the zone of optimal difficulty, i.e., at the limit of the child’s capabilities, then it leads to the development of his abilities, realizing what L. S. Vygotsky called zone of proximal development. Activities that are not within this zone are much less conducive to the development of abilities. If it is too simple, it provides only the realization of already existing abilities; if it is excessively complex, it becomes impossible and, therefore, also does not lead to the formation of new skills and abilities.

The development of abilities largely depends on the conditions that allow the inclinations to be realized. One of these conditions is the peculiarities of family education. If parents show concern for the development of their children's abilities, then the probability of discovering any abilities in children is higher than when children are left to their own devices.

Another group of conditions for the development of abilities is determined by the characteristics of the macroenvironment. The macroenvironment is considered to be the features of the society in which a person was born and grows. The most positive factor in the macro-environment is the situation when society takes care of the development of the abilities of its members. This concern of society can be expressed in the constant improvement of the education system, as well as in the development professional orientation of the next generation.

The need for career guidance is due to an extremely urgent problem that every person faces - the problem of choosing a life path and professional self-determination. Historically, there have been two concepts of career guidance, which the French psychologist A. Leon called diagnostic and educational. The first - diagnostic - reduces the choice of a profession by an individual to the determination of his professional suitability. The consultant, using tests, measures the abilities of a person and, by comparing them with the requirements of the profession, makes a conclusion about his suitability or unsuitability for this profession.

Many scientists evaluate this concept of career guidance as mechanistic. It is based on the view of abilities as stable formations, little affected by the influences of the environment. The subject within the framework of this concept is given a passive role.

The second - educational - concept is aimed at preparing the individual for professional life, at his self-determination in accordance with the planned educational influences. It focuses on the study of personality development in the process of mastering various types of activities. A much smaller place in it is occupied by test trials. However, even here the personal activity of the subject, the possibilities of his self-determination, self-development and self-education are underestimated. Therefore, in domestic psychology, the solution of this problem is approached comprehensively. It is believed that the solution to the problem of career guidance is possible only when both approaches are links in the same chain: determining the abilities of an individual and helping him prepare for a future profession.

In any case, a prediction about the suitability of an individual for a particular activity should be based on the position on the development of abilities in an activity. S. L. Rubinshtein formulated the basic rule for the development of human abilities as follows: “The development of abilities takes place in a spiral:

the realization of an opportunity, which is the ability of one level, opens up new opportunities for the further development of abilities of a higher level. A person's giftedness is determined by the range of new opportunities that the realization of available opportunities opens up.

Conclusion

The development of abilities is a very complex process, has its own characteristics at each age stage, is closely related to the development of the child's interests, self-assessment of his success in a particular activity, and depends on many social conditions. These include the features of education, the need of society for a particular activity, the features of the education system, etc.

Bibliography

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5. Leites I. S. Abilities and talents in childhood. - M.: Knowledge, 1984.

6. Leontiev A.N., On the formation of abilities, "Questions of Psychology", 1960, No. 1

7. Nemov R.S. Psychology: Textbook for students. higher ped. textbook institutions: In 3 books. Book. 1: General foundations of psychology. - 2nd ed. - M.: Vlados, 1998.

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